Centering device for car couplers



Feb. 8, 1966 E. s. clsco CENTERING DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 27, 1965 INVENTOR EdwardSC/sca ill ATTORNEYFeb. 8, 1966 E. s. CISCO CENTERING DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 27, 1963 INVENTOR Edward 5. C/sco ATTORNEY 4Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Edward .5. Cisco ATTORNEY E. S. CISCO GENTERINGDEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS Feb. 8, 1966 Filed Nov. 27, 1963 Feb. 8, 1966 E.s. CISCO 3,233,748

CENTERING DEVICE FOR CAR COUPLERS Filed NOV. 27, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTOR 46 46 9 Edward .SZC/sco BY 3 579W ATTORNEY United States PatentOfiFice Patented Feb. 8, 1966 3,233,748 CENTERIN G DEVICE FOR CARCOUPLERS Edward S. Cisco, Highland, Ind, assignor to StanrayCorporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Deiaware Filed Nov. 27,1963, Ser. No. 326,604 7 Claims. (Cl. 213-19) This invention relates toimprovements in devices for association with railway car couplers toassure that conplers will always be within coupling range when cars aremoved together to engage the couplers. The function of a centeringdevice for car couplers is to maintain a free coupler substantially inline with the longitudinal center of the car.

Because of loss and damage to lading carried in railroad cars due toswitching shocks to the car, a sliding center sill underframe withcushioning arrangement has been developed which would have little or norecoil and which would allow a considerable amount of travel of thesliding sill at all impact speeds, thereby to better protect thecommodities carried within the car.

Couplers installed in this type of center sill arrange- 'ment have beenmade to move forward and backward a greater and greater distance. In themore recent types the couplers themselves have been made to move fortyinches and more. This meant greater side swing of the couplers when thecars are rounding curves. Furthermore there is a growing tendency tobuild longer cars resulting in greater overhang from truck centers tocouplers and therefore the coupler strikers must have larger openings topermit greater side travel at the coupler to negotiate the standardestablished A. A. R. railroad curves. In fact, it has recentlybeenproposed to build cars eighty feet long with striker opening ofthirty-eight inches.

Couplers are now provided with shanks varying in length from about 21 toabout 60". Obviously a 15 lateral swing of a coupler having a 60 shankwould be a greater distance than a 15 lateral swing of a coupler havinga 21" shank.

The object of this invention therefore is to provide a coupler centeringdevice which will meet the above discussed varying conditions and keepthe head of a free coupler within coupling range.

Another object of the invention is to incorporate within the couplercarrier resilient means for maintaining a free coupler within couplingrange.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description thereof taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing wherein like reference characters indicate like parts, andwherein FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a coupler carrier embodying myinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevationof FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an end view slightly enlarged of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view of the spring yoke and spring seat assembly;

FIGURE 5 is a section on line 55 of FIG. 4; FIGURE 6 is a section online 66 of FIG. 4; FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of the spring yoke;FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of FIGURE 7; FIGURES 9 and 10 arerespective end views of the spring yoke illustrating how the arms of theyoke are offset from each other, and taken on the lines 9-9 and 10-10 ofFIGURE 7;

FIGURE 11 is a front view of the carry iron; FIGURE 12 is an end view online 1212 of FIG- URE 11;

FIGURE 13 is a section on line 13-13 of FIG. 11; FIGURE 14 is a sideelevation of the wear plate; and FIGURE 15 is an end elevation of thewear plate.

The prior patent art comprising coupler centering devices is quite largeand aimed at the problem generally of keeping type E and earliercouplers within coupling range when uncoupled. Practically all of thisprior art is expired, which means that the problem of centering acoupler installed in a sliding center sill with cushioning medium andwide side swing at the coupler face, a relatively recent development,was not encountered.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 illustratethe assembled device, which is a coupler carry iron and is the bottomhorizontal member of the coupler striker. This assembly broadlycomprises a lower downwardly facing channel-shaped spring housing 2%,shown as having a pair of diagonally-spaced holes 22 through the flangesof said housing adjacent each end thereof. The lower ends of thevertical side members or stiles of the striker, not shown, are fixed bybolts, rivets or otherwise to said openings or holes 22 to hold theassembly in place. Upon each end of the web of said channel housing 20is an outwardly facing channel spring retainer, the lower flange 24 ofeach of which is fixed as indicated by rivets or the like to the web ofthe channel 20. The web 26 of each of these spring retainers 24 isdisposed perpendicularly to the web 24 of the lower spring housing 20.Flatwise against these webs 26 are positioned spring seats 28, eachhaving a truncated Conical shaped center portion 3d. The apexes of theseconical portions 30 face each other, and extending between these springseats is a helical spring 32, the ends of the spring seating on saidseats. The spring 32 is pre-loaded compressively about 50 pounds or soto insure the proper functioning of the device.

A pair of elongated U-shaped spring yokes 34 are provided (FIGS. 7-10),the closed ends 36 of which extend around the base of each respectivespring seat. As will be seen in FIGURES 8, 9 and 10, the ratherelongated arms of the spring yoke are offset somewhat in spaced parallelplanes and the free ends of the yokes are provided with backwardlyturned hooks indicated at 38.

A downwardly facing channel-shaped upper spring housing 40 is provided,which is coextensive with the lower spring housing 20. The ends of theweb of this upper spring housing 40 rest upon the upper flanges 25 ofthe spring retainers and are secured thereto as by rivets or the like.Said ends of the spring housing 40 are widened as indicated in FIG. 1,so that the flanges thereof will overlap the spring seat assembly. Theends of the flanges 41 of the upper spring housing 40 are cut away asindicated at 42., so that the arms 34 of the spring yokes extend alongthe outer surface of the flanges 41 of the housing 40.

Upon the upper spring housing 40 is mounted a fiat high carbon steelwear plate 44, shown in FIGURES 14 and 15, this being a stainless steelmember to provide a relatively smooth frictionless surface for thecoupler carrier to move upon. As shown in FIG. 14, the central part ofthe wear plate 44 is channel-shaped having side flanges 46 which extenddown over the upper part of the flanges of the upper spring housingwhere it narrows over the central portion of the spring housing 46 Uponthis central portion of the device is mounted the carry iron properindicated at 56) and shown in detail in FIGURES 11, 12 and 13. As seenin FIGS. 12 and 13, the main body portion of the carry iron ischannelshaped and the flanges 52 of which overlap the flanges 41 of theupper spring housing, The ends of the carry iron are triangularly-shapedas seen in FIG. 1, and provided with upwardly extending walls 54 spacedinwardly from the apex of the triangular end and provided with asubstantial gusset indicated at 56. The inner surfaces of the walls 54are arcuate to compensate for the angling of the shank 58 of the couplerwhich rests on the carry iron. As seen in FIGS. 2, 11 and 12, each edgeof each flange 52. is provided with a notch 60, said notches in oppositeflanges being in spaced planes coincident with the offset arms 34 of thespring yokes. Thus each of the spring yokes extends around a springseat. as shown in FIG. 2 and passes between flanges 41 of the springhousing and flanges 52 of the carry iron and is hooked into the notches60. The springs 32, being preloaded, are therefore keeping equal tensionon opopsite edges of the flanges 52 of the carry iron.

It will be noted that the under surface of the carry iron is providedwith a plurality of spaced indents indicated at 51 for the insertion ofbushings of any suitable bear- 'ing material such as graphiteimpregnated bronze or any of the halogenated hydrocarbons, such asTeflon or the like which ride on the stainless steel wear plate 44 andprovide as friction free movement as possible.-

The coupler shank is indicated in dotted lines at 58 resting upon thecarry iron, which in turn rests upon the stainless steel wear plate. Thecoupler shank moves transversely across the surface of the carry iron inresponse to butt and draft movements of the coupler and also moveslaterally thereon as when the car is rounding a curve. When thishappens, a side of the coupler shank will engage one or the other of thewalls 54 of the carry iron and move the carry iron with it, in someinstances as much as 15 on opposite sides of the center line of the car.Should the coupler be uncoupled while in this laterally moved position,the coupler would then become a free coupler and the spring 32 havingbeen compressed when the carrier moved with the coupler would tend toreturn the free coupler to its midpoint on the upper spring housing.This return to central position of the coupler does not happenimmediately upon uncoupling the coupler because it is possible anothercar would be coupled thereto while still on the curve. But if the carwith the free coupler were moved from the curved track to a straightawaytrack, the vibration of such movement' would assist the spring inreturning the coupler to average coupling range. Even if the spring didreturn. the free coupler to average coupling range while the car was ona curve, it would still be in position to couple with the coupler ofanother car whose coupler head was in the straightaway position.

In other words, the tension of the spring is regulated by the amount ofpreload, so that when the coupler is uncoupled and free, the springwillalmost return the coupler to straightaway position so that the couplerwill be in coupling range in any event.

With this arrangement of bushings between the carry iron and wear plate,it becomes quite easy for the coupler, when necessary, to be moved toany desired position. manually. In the oridinary car structure, thecoupler shank rests on a stationary steel carrier, making it verydifiicult to move the coupler into coupling position manually. If theuncoupling occurs on a curve and the car is moved to a straightawaysection of track, it' is necessary to manually push the coupler to acentral position so that it will be within coupling range with a carwhose coupler is in central position. The bushings intermediate of thecarry iron and stainless steel wear plate make manual movement of thecoupler head and shank relatively easy, if movement of the coupler,manually, is necessary.

There may be instances where, due to space limitations or otherwise, it.is possible to do away with the upper spring housing and its associatedspring seats, spring,

and yokes, and rely on placing the stainless steel wear plate on=thebottom housing which will be raised to the elevationof the upperhousing, and place the carry iron with its bushings on the wear plate.With this arrangement the coupler would have to be manually set inproper coupling range before another car could be coupled thereto.Experience has shown that this is entirely possible even though therewould be no automatic centering of the coupler with this arrangement.

From the foregoing it Will be evident to those skilled in the art thatthere has been devised a coupler centering mechanism for long travelWide side swing couplers mounted in sliding center sills with cushionunderframes, and wherein the entire mechanism is mounted within thespaced limitations of the bottom member of the striker. It isconceivable that the invention could be applied to support any type ofcoupler and draft gear arrangement by varying the sizes of the parts tofit the limitations in space involved.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of theinvention, but it is understood that the invention is not limited to beexactdet'ails of construction shown and described, as it is obvious thatvarious modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, willoccur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A centering mechanism for supporting and centering a car couplerrelative to an associatedrailway car comprising in combination a strikerhaving a transversely extending elongated hollow housing fired atopposite ends to said striker, a wear plate having a smooth uppersurface upon said hollow housing, a; carry iron upon said wear plate andhaving spaced sides overlap ing the sides of said hollow housing, saidcarry iron supporting a car coupler and movable upon said wear plate inresponse to lateral movements of said coupler, bearing materialsupported between said carry' iron and wear plate to reduce friction ofmovement of said carry iron on said wear plate, a preloaded springsupported Within said housing, spring yokes, the bight of each yokeengaging respectively opposite ends of said spring, the other ends ofsaid yokes engaging opposite edges of the sides of said carry ironwhereby lateral movement of said coupler will compress said spring andaid in returning said coupler to normal coupling range when lateralstress on said spring is removed;

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, said carry iron being providedwith means for holding said bearing material between the carry iron andsaid wear plate.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1, said carry iron being providedwith a recess facing said wear plate for supporting bearing materialtherein;

4. The combination with a laterally swingable car coupler, of a couplerstriker secured to the car body and having a horizontal hollow membersupporting the coupler, a carry iron under said coupler and slidable onsaid horizontal member in response to'lateral movements of said'coupler, bearing material supported between said carry iron and saidhorizontal member, an elongated helical spring supported by saidhorizontal member and extending transversely of the axis of saidcoupler, yokes the bight of each yoke engagingrespectively opposite endsof said spring, the other ends of said yokes engaging opposite edges ofthe carry iron wherebylateral movement of said coupler will compresssaid spring and aid'in returning said coupler to coupling range whenlateral stress on said spring is removed.

5. The combination with a laterally swingable car coupler, of a couplerstriker secured to the car body and having a hollow member forsupporting the coupler, a stainless steel wear plate on said member, acoupler carrier iron upon said wear plate under said coupler, andmovable laterally in'response to sidewise movements of said coupler,means supporting. suitable bearing. material between said carry iron andsaid wear plate to provide ease of movement therebetween, a preloadedhelical spring supported within said hollow member, yokes encircling theends of said spring and attached to said carry iron whereby movement ofsaid carry ironwillcompress said spring which will aid in returning saidcoupler to coupling range when lateral stress on said spring is removed.

6. The combination with a horizontally swingable railway car coupler, ofa coupler striker secured to the car body and having a hollow horizontalmember for supporting the coupler, a coupler carry iron upon saidhorizontal member under said coupler and movable laterally in responseto sidewise movements of said coupler, the surface of said carry ironengaging said horizontal member being provided with recesses, Teflonbearing material discs within said recesses and of a thickness to extendbeyond the depth of the recesses and engage the horizontal member,resilient means extending on opposite sides of the coupler yokesencircling the respective ends of said resilient means and attached tosaid carry iron, whereby the lateral movement of the coupler will causethe carry iron to slide upon said discs bearing against said horizontalmember and compress said resilient means which will aid in returningsaid coupler to coupling range when stress on said resilient means isremoved.

7. The combination with a horizontally swingable rail way car coupler,of a coupler striker secured to the car body and having a horizontalmember for supporting the coupler, a coupler carry iron upon saidhorizontal member under said coupler and movable laterally in responseto sidewise movements of said coupler, the surface of said carry ironwhich engages said horizontal member being provided with recesses,Teflon bearing material discs within said recesses and of a thickness toextend beyond the depth of the recesses and engage the horizontal memberspring means extending on opposite sides of the coupler, springactuating means attached to the carry iron and engaging opposite ends ofsaid spring means, whereby the lateral movement of the coupler willcause the carry iron to slide upon said discs bearing against saidhorizontal member, and compress said spring means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,226,485 12/1940 Van Dorn 213-61 3,058,791 10/1962 Stallman 308238 FOREIGN PATENTS1,060,501 7/1952 France.

303, 6/ 1929 Great Britain.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

LEO QUACKENBUSH, MILTON BUCHLER,

Examiners.

1. A CENTERING MECHANISM FOR SUPPORTING AND CENTERING A CAR COUPLERRELATIVE TO AN ASSOCIATED RAILWAY CAR COMPRISING IN COMBINATION ASTRIKER HAVING A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING ELONGATED HOLLOW HOUSING FIXEDAT OPPOSITE ENDS TO SAID STRIKER, A WEAR PLATE HAVING A SMOOTH UPPERSURFACE UPON SAID HOLLOW HOUSING, A CARRY IRON UPON SAID WEAR PLATE ANDHAVING SPACED SIDES OVERLAPPING THE SIDES OF SAID HOLLOW HOUSING, SAIDCARRY IRON SUPPORTING A CAR COUPLER AND MOVABLE UPON SAID WEAR PLATE INRESPONSE TO LATERAL MOVEMENTS OF SAID COUPLER, BEARING MATERIALSUPPORTED BETWEEN SAID CARRY IRON AND WEAR PLATE TO REDUCE FRICTION OFMOVEMENT OF SAID CARRY IRON ON SAID WEAR PLATE, A PRELOADED SPRINGSUPPORTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, SPRING YOKES, THE BIGHT OF EACH YOKEENGAGING RESPECTIVELY OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SPRING, THE OTHER ENDS OFSAID YOKES ENGAGING OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE SIDES OF SAID CARRY IRONWHEREBY LATERAL MOVEMENT OF SAID COUPLER WILL COMPRESS SAID SPRING ANDAID IN RETURNING SAID COUPLER TO NORMAL COUPLING RANGE WHEN LATERALSTRESS ON SAID SPRING IS REMOVED.